b4reelnowFeb 8, 2013

Superman, good for you!

MamaDummyFeb 8, 2013

I actually have started using USPS more and writing check the old fashioned way because e-banking has cause all of my accounts to be hacked. Had to have debit & credit cards cancelled and reissued 3 times with in a year. So, lick it and stick it. Sure hope we dont kill off the USPS.

supermanFeb 8, 2013

b4reelnow I use my credit card for almost everything. Pay it off every month and every couple months I can CASH back. Couple weeks ago they sent me a check for $100.00. Send the credit card company a check the next day after I receive my statement. I use their money and they pay me. You cant do better than that.

b4reelnowFeb 8, 2013

Y'all better pay your bills on time. Credit card companies are going to have a field day with this!! I am working towards paying mine off and just using checks or cash to make purchases. Just saying......

goldenospreyFeb 8, 2013

"The problem is the union pension, medical expense, etc....

The costs of a union workforce is killing the post office."

You're close to half right. The problem is that the republican congress, trying to find a way to kill off the post office without being able to withhold any funds, since USPS gets none, passed a bizarre, pointless law USPS had to do something no other organization does -funds 75 years of pensions. This is a mess of republican creation.

A substantial % of Fedex packages are farmed out to USPS to deliver because those union employees are more cost-effective.

ConservativeVoterFeb 7, 2013

The problem is the union pension, medical expense, etc....

The costs of a union workforce is killing the post office.

FlagWavingFascistCrankFeb 7, 2013

The TAXPAYERS will NO LONGER have to fund the USPS when WE finally kill it off.....the less socialism, the BETTER!

bubbaOKFeb 7, 2013

They're victims of their own foolishness. In my town the po is backed up to the legal eagles. You'd think it was a legal clinic so much uncalled for ugliness unlike anywhere. It's a lousy service prima donna mess.

bubbaOKFeb 7, 2013

What you see is what you get. They no longer feature letter delivery so it went the way of the horse & buggy and instead they pick up boxes for a single rate you stuffed with whatever.That's what's become of the usps.

Lightfoot3Feb 7, 2013

“Postal Service market research and other research indicated that nearly 7 in 10 Americans support the switch to five-day delivery as a way for the Postal Service to reduce costs, the agency said.” – article

Wonder why? Americans won’t see the costs savings. Mail rates aren’t going down and it’s going to take longer for mail to be delivered.

bluford2Feb 6, 2013

The Postal Service would not be in the mess it is in if it were not for having to fund retiree health benefits to the tune of 5 BILLION dollars annually for employees not even born yet! That was a Bush insisted upon provision in the 2006 Postal Reform bill. Eliminating Saturday delivery will mean at least 70,000 positions will be lost. If Congress would eliminate the 5 billion dollar payment, which no other employer is required to pay, as well as give back the USPS the 30 BILLION dollars ,according to GAO and the Inspector General's office figures back, the USPS would be on much better financial footing without eliminating Saturday delivery or costing 70,ooo, according to USPS estimates, people their jobs!!!!!!! natsfan1965 February 6, 2013 5:32 p.m

Since we can't bump really important posts here, this is the best I can do.

People really need to stop overlooking the really obvious problem with the USPS. Congress can easily remedy the problem but neither party seems interested.

worldclasscoachFeb 6, 2013

It's the beginning of the end for the Postal Service, hello UPS!

marsupial75Feb 6, 2013

The difference between letters and packages is the volume of mail. Delivery of packages is rarer and so Saturday delivery would be on an as-needed basis. For instance, I live in an apartment complex and only about one or two packages are delivered here a week. Delivering just packages means that they could have fewer staff and quicker delivery routes, saving money from both wages and delivery expenses.

walkindogsFeb 6, 2013

Let the USPS go under. It is as painful to go to the post office as it is to the DMV. All the workers HATE their jobs and are rude,no matter how nice you try to be. They should be glad they have a JOB!!

WooHoo2YouFeb 6, 2013

If your neighborhood post office looked and felt like a retail business rather than the DMV, it wouldn't have financial problems.- fkhaywood

Yeah, and having to compete with free email...but don't let the really big details get in the way of forming an opinion.

Ex-RepublicanFeb 6, 2013

If your neighborhood post office looked and felt like a retail business rather than the DMV, it wouldn't have financial problems.

fkhaywoodFeb 6, 2013

The only stamps that I buy are for Christmas Cards. All of my bills are paid using BillPay (Electronicaly) Incidentally, A lot of stamps are sold to Numistists (stamp Collectors, I know,I used to collect stamps.

SherlockFeb 6, 2013

Whats the difference between packages and letter, other than size? Still out delivering mail and thus no saving of money. To work need to stop all delivery and close down for the day, no truck runing, no people out to pay no gas to burn...

pageredmonFeb 6, 2013

Plenty Coups: Good point. UPS and FedEx only deliver so far. Then they take it to the post offices in some areas and the letter carrier takes it to the actual destination. Tax Man: At one office I worked at in Raleigh, we would send a check in a regular envelope put into a big FedEx envelope. To send the check would be between $10 and $17. If it was only going to Durham, it was only $10. So technically, you can send regular mail via FedEx/UPS in their envelopes, but at a much higher cost.

Plenty CoupsFeb 6, 2013

"Allow Fedex and UPS to pickup and deliver our letters!"

Might want to first ask them. And then ask them what places and cities will they service?

natsfan1965Feb 6, 2013

The Postal Service would not be in the mess it is in if it were not for having to fund retiree health benefits to the tune of 5 BILLION dollars annually for employees not even born yet! That was a Bush insisted upon provision in the 2006 Postal Reform bill. Eliminating Saturday delivery will mean at least 70,000 positions will be lost. If Congress would eliminate the 5 billion dollar payment, which no other employer is required to pay, as well as give back the USPS the 30 BILLION dollars ,according to GAO and the Inspector General's office figures back, the USPS would be on much better financial footing without eliminating Saturday delivery or costing 70,ooo, according to USPS estimates, people their jobs!!!!!!!

camperzsaleFeb 6, 2013

The government does nothing efficiently. Substitute the words "postal service" and replace with "obama care". Same thing is, in essence, going to happen

flyguyncFeb 6, 2013

The man stated their situation was "urgent" but they won't cut back delivery until August? What? Doesn't sound urgent to me.

Tax ManFeb 6, 2013

Congress needs to allow all other carriers to accept and deliver first class mail competitively. That service is prohibited by private industry as it would put the post office out of business. Allow Fedex and UPS to pickup and deliver our letters! And since the USPS is a "stand alone business" and not paid for by the taxpayers why do the workers not have to pay their own health insurance and retirement? If you cut those costs and did not have to fund prior workers retirement then the post office would be much better off. How about the PO going through a Chapter 11 and getting rid of all its debt and then starting over?

SurvivorOneFeb 6, 2013

Should have been done YEARS ago!

SpockFeb 6, 2013

The government should never be in competition with private business - never! Close all of the USPS down NOW!

BlahBlahBlahBlahBlahFeb 6, 2013

I had rather receive snail mail than an email..

Of course since NC took cursive away, it will not take long for humans to evolve into Computer Kooks.

federalsales2Feb 6, 2013

WHO CARES...........

Alexia.1Feb 6, 2013

"Hmm, less service(no Saturday), and higher costs(stamps), sound like a wonderful business plan. NOT!!!" --markjb33

I take it you do not run a business. How on Earth do you expect a business to provide more service at a lower cost, in the face of the fact that there are known costs associated with providing those services that are higher than the revenue received? They must pay wages, pay for trucks, pay for fuel, pay for buildings, etc.

So, you want to mail a letter to California and you pay the postal service 46 cents and you complain? Heck, they should be charging 60 cents for that.

The only area where I can say they "failed" is in being more competitive against UPS. They have lower prices, yet businesses prefer UPS in many cases. Perhaps it's because of the ease of shipping or the tracking? I don't know, but then again I think it's a good thing to see private business take over a government function.

So, perhaps the bigger question is: do we need the USPS now?

bubbbaFeb 6, 2013

Maybe if the janitor didn't make $40/ hr they wouldn't be so short on money? Go figure... RustyDawg

I agree with you but it isn't only the janitor that is overpaid, I had a neighbor 25 yrs ago that was nothing more than a secretary/administrative assistant that was making $50K. She had been with them for less than 10 yrs. Just a prime example of why the USPS is in trouble financially... Wonder if the rest of the Government Agencies are paying their employees the same way? What a cost saving initiative if they paid the same scales that privatized companies pay their employees.boogerntcsmomFebruary 6, 2013 3:18 p.m. Report abuse

You ever cleaned up 100 or so strangers mess in the bathroom.

nopartyloyaltyFeb 6, 2013

Full-time postal workers usually always work their day off, thus a six day work week. One whole work day is time and half pay. If they go over 10 hours in a day, they get double time for the hours over 10. Of course, they do not hire full-time folks anymore, so they do not get any benefits. Once the last batch of full-time workers retire, the post office will only have temporary workers.

WooHoo2YouFeb 6, 2013

Another Government run organization going down the tubes. What is the heck makes us think they can control Health Care. What a JOKE.-Glock07

Actually the Post Office was a very profitable government organization until email / the internet became common place….do you think a doctor can give you a blood test over Facebook?

Funny, you let the government build the roads, educate your children, regulate nuclear power plants, police the streets, protect us from invasion but they can’t make sure people have the ability to see a doctor?

markjb33Feb 6, 2013

Hmm, less service(no Saturday), and higher costs(stamps), sound like a wonderful business plan. NOT!!!

StaggerLeeFeb 6, 2013

They should just deliver on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Seriously, most mail is not very time sensitive.

Glock07Feb 6, 2013

Another Government run organization going down the tubes. What is the heck makes us think they can control Health Care. What a JOKE.

The YodaFeb 6, 2013

Everyone is in favor of this except the union, go figure. Just more proof that unions are bad for America and maybe its time to ban them.

carpeFeb 6, 2013

As retired seniors, neither my wife nor I will miss Saturday delivery. We just don't think Saturday delivery of mail is a necessity in our lives. To be honest we could easily adjust to delivery on Mon, Wed, Fri.

And yes W signed it into law a requirement for the USPS to fund retirement in 06, something a super majority Dem House and Senate could have undone 07-09 but saw no need for. OB could have made it an issue in last four years and has not.

But like everything else including the power outage at the super bowl, W is convient to blame.

raleigh1983Feb 6, 2013

Perhaps the US Postal Service can recoup the $$ they wasted on Lance Armstrong.

afaircloth55Feb 6, 2013

Finally! Its been operating in the red for years and this is the first major move that I've seen to trim costs. Never understood a sudo-gov't-private-independent-"business" anyway.

corey3rd2Feb 6, 2013

" remember when I was a kid they started the Saturday deliveries and the postal employees didn't like that back then. It was a luxury that is not needed anymore."

How old are you since Saturday Delivery has been standard for the Post Office since it started. They used to have Sunday delivery.

The Post Office has the right to charge you for a PO Box since you're renting space in their building. Or do all you freeloaders expect to be given even more handouts?

KermitDFrogFeb 6, 2013

I've seen planned neighborhoods in other countries. Instead of having a mailbox in front of your house, there are groups of locked boxes in common areas of the neighborhood. This may not work in rural areas but, in the Mo-Ca-Pex area, common area common-area-mailboxes would avoid a lot of stop/go and save fuel. The "downside" is you have to walk a a little to collect your mail.

Plenty CoupsFeb 6, 2013

dmmccall-"Typical government agency; run the exact opposite the way it would in the free market."

Really???? Does UPS or FedEX deliver letter mail on Saturdays? How about at all?

321oohawFeb 6, 2013

I also heard they will continue to deliver via Pony Express

boogerntcsmomFeb 6, 2013

Maybe if the janitor didn't make $40/ hr they wouldn't be so short on money? Go figure...RustyDawg

I agree with you but it isn't only the janitor that is overpaid, I had a neighbor 25 yrs ago that was nothing more than a secretary/administrative assistant that was making $50K. She had been with them for less than 10 yrs. Just a prime example of why the USPS is in trouble financially... Wonder if the rest of the Government Agencies are paying their employees the same way? What a cost saving initiative if they paid the same scales that privatized companies pay their employees.

zonkFeb 6, 2013

I don't need mail on Saturday so it is fine with me if they can save some money

RiddickfieldFeb 6, 2013

Saturday delivery, meh I can live without that. Now having the post office open on Saturday so I can drop off a package I need that. Fortunately they are keeping that. If you need to ship something, its simply the best bargain going for package delivery. Cheap, fast and reliable.

US VETFeb 6, 2013

Postal delivery in Rougemot nc leaves a lot to be desired anyway. Who cares .

sjb2k1Feb 6, 2013

My mailman doesnt work Saturdays anyway.bubbba

if you're serious, you can report him.

gboro_galFeb 6, 2013

This sounds good to me...it seems like the only thing that ever arrives in the mail on Saturday are mistakes made against an account of mine somewhere, and then I would have to wait until Monday to take care of the problem.

ellengraham5660Feb 6, 2013

If you can't get your mail in five days, then you don't need it. We get more junk mail now than ever before.